SWEDEN is to become the first country to slap 鈥渃limate-friendly鈥� labels on food products. The hope is that the labels will prompt consumers to buy greener products, but there are worries that some companies may use the scheme to 鈥済reenwash鈥�.
A small milk producer north of Stockholm is expected to be the first company to sport the 鈥渃limate-certified鈥� tag. One way it cut its use of energy and nutrients was by switching from chemical-based fertilisers to manure.
The scheme is voluntary and firms must prove they have reduced greenhouse gas emissions in order to earn a label. 鈥淭he only thing we鈥檙e guaranteeing is that improvements have been made,鈥� says Anna Richert, an adviser to the (LRF), and head of the team developing the criteria for labelling products. 鈥淭his could mean reductions in emissions of anything from 5 to 80 per cent.鈥�
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Danielle Nierenberg of Worldwatch Institute, a Washington DC based think tank, says that there is still a shortage of firm figures for emissions produced when growing, processing, shipping and selling most foods. 鈥淏ecause we don鈥檛 have a lot of good scientific data, I think there鈥檚 a risk that companies will claim things they can鈥檛 back up, and greenwash products that might not be climate friendly,鈥� she says.
Richert says this won鈥檛 happen because each product will be certified independently. 鈥淲e鈥檙e quite certain the system won鈥檛 be abused.鈥�
